1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing charge collecting method employed in a printing system using a portable terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for collecting a printing charge required for printing out data in a printing system in which the data which has been retrieved using a portable terminal, such as a cellular phone, can be printed out by a printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable terminals are now rapidly spreading. The most typical one is the cellular phone. And recently, uses of those portable terminals on the Internet have been developing. For example, with the use of a cellular phone, communications can be e-mailed from anywhere in real time. Information on the Internet can directly be searched, or data can be acquired by executing a function of a Web browser. Further, applications for gateway services are provided. Some of those gateway services include: a banking service in which one can check his/her balance in his/her bank account, or can transfer money to his/her account; a ticket service in which one can reserve a ticket without going to a ticket agency; and a service in which one can sell or buy financial products such as stocks, investment funds, and the like.
Another service available using a portable terminal such as a cellular phone and the like is distribution of contents. For example, NTT DoCoMo Inc. provides an -I-MODE cellular internet service which is a service for getting a user connected to a network such as the Internet from a cellular phone. In the -I-MODE cellular internet service, the cellular phone telecommunication network of NTT DoCoMo Inc. acts as a provider. In order to browse contents of official sites authenticated by NTT DoCoMo Inc., it is required to access the contents server (gateway server) operated by NTT DoCoMo Inc. from cellular phones corresponding to the -I-MODE cellular internet service, and to get authenticated. Charges for utilizing official charge-requiring contents are collected from users by, for example, NTT DoCoMo Inc. on behalf of contents providers, together with the communication charges. NTT DoCoMo Inc. subtracts predetermined commissions from the collected charges, and pays the remainder to contents providers.
While functions of portable terminals are becoming advanced and varied as described above, various demands are arising. For example, users request a larger display of contents which users browse using their portable terminals, request to keep contents at hand as hard copies, or request to print out contents on the spot as materials for presentation at business negotiations or materials to be provided to customers.
Most of the convenience stores and offices have now introduced digital copying machines that can act as a MFP (Multi Function Peripheral). Those copying machines usually have a printing function which works in accordance with a print request from PCs or other devices. Those copying machines are often connected to a network and shared on an Intranet/the Internet. Thus, a printing system, for connecting a portable terminal to such a MFP to print out data such as contents, is proposed. In this case, the MFP is to be installed in, for example, a convenience store or an office.
In such a printing system, a printing apparatus such as a copying machine receives a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) which specifies the site of the contents selected by a user, from a portable terminal. Then, the printing apparatus accesses a contents server using this URL, acquires data having high resolution from the contents server, and prints out the data As a result, the user obtains the information which is printed out on a sheet of paper.
As described above, such a printing system is very useful, and can be used by users easily though having high-level functions. Because of this, businesses using such a printing system have potential to expand a great deal. In such a printing system, printing function providers install software in their printing apparatuses to provide such a function to users. Those printing function providers earn profits by collecting printing charges from users. However, there has been no established method for collecting printing charges in such a printing system.